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ZaReason CEO Sounds Off on Linux, Hardware ‘Compatibility’

Canonical’s “Ubuntu Friendly” hardware-validation program, which officially debuts next month along with Ubuntu 11.10, should make life a little easier for people with computers that don’t get along so well with Linux. But what if your computer is designed from the ground up to run Linux flawlessly? I recently got a chance to speak with ZaReason CEO Cathy Malmrose, whose company has been shipping Linux PCs for years, about precisely that question. Here’s what she had to say.

With the exception of ZaReason and a handful of similar Linux-oriented vendors, such as System76, few OEMs give much thought to how well their hardware can run open source operating systems. That’s why the Ubuntu Friendly program, which encourages Ubuntu users to run simple tests to measure how well their computers work with Ubuntu and then upload their results to a public database, is a great move on Canonical’s part. It promises to make it easier to choose Ubuntu-friendly PCs before purchasing, or find solutions for compatibility problems on the hardware one already owns.